Safe lock



Sept. 23, 194-1. c. A. FOWLER SAFE LOCK Filed May 22, 1940 Patented Sept. 23, 1941 "lorries SAFE LOCK CharlesA. Fowler, Salt Lake City, Utah Application May 22, 1940, Serial No. 336,575

' science. (01. ro -1.5

My invention relates to a lock interposed between the usual locking mechanism and the tumbier operating mechanism on fire proof safes and strong boxes.

The present fire proof safes have double walls with an asbestos or cement and-asbestos or other fire resistant materials between the walls. The doors of these safes are held in position by bolts extending from all four sides of th door into the safe walls or inner extensions thereon. These bolts are operated by a lever on the out- I side of the safe and this lever is locked by a bolt actuated by a separate combination or key lock. To prevent safe crackers from easily opening these safes the area surrounding the loci: and tumbler control is usually covered with a hard plate to prevent drilling, but an easy way to enter such a safe is to chisel either the combination dial or key look from the outerside of the door and by use of a punch and sledge hammer drive the spindle out of the lock and place a wire through the opening remaining, pull back the lock bolt and release the bolts. To prevent this practice, several lock manufacturers have placed a trigger in contact with the rear of the lock spindle which actuates a pin. When the spindle is'driven out, the trigger actuates this pin'and the pin permanently locks the bolt. The safe cracker when he discovers this type of lock then places a punch against the collar for the spindle and drives the entire lock off the door or bends it so badly that the bolt no longer engages the bolt lever.

Another type of safe-guard used on these safes is the type known as the relocking device. In this device secondary bolts are so situated that when the spindle is tampered with they are released and by means of a spring behind them they permanently lock the door. The dirficulty with this relocking device is that they are never operated unless there is an attempt to crack the safe and as a result they often rust or corrode in place or the springs lose their force.

My invention overcomes all of the defects of these previous safe locks by being totally independent of any attachments extending through the door which could be driven off and by being actuated every time the door is opened or closed, thus preventing corrosion. If the safe is closed and locked, the lock of my invention is operated and the owner knows that it has not corroded.

My invention consists of-a lock mechanism which cooperates with the lock bolt of the usual combination or key lock to lock the bolt lever. If, however, the combination lock is driven from the safe door, my lock remains in contact with the boltlever and prevents its operation. The bolt of my lock cannot be drawn back by a wire placed through the spindle hole.

It is, therefore, an object cf'my invention to provide a lock which can be actuatedfrom the outside of a door, but which has no part extending through th door which can be tampered with.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lock between the conventional combination lock and bolt lever which locks th bolt permanently if the conventional lock is tampered with.

Another object of my invention is to provide a locking mechanism which is operated every time the-door is opened and thus prevents cor- I rosion and rust.

Another object of my invention is to provide a locking mechanism that is already in the locking' position when the safe door is closed and locked and does not depend upon unauthorized tampering with the safe to actuate it or to cause it to engage and lock the bolts.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred form of my invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a view showing the locking portion of a door of a safe.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of inner side of shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the locking mechanism shown in Fig. '2.

Fig. 5 is a section on 5-45 of Fig. 4.

the door In the preferred embodiment of my .invention, a safe or strong :box with a double Wall has a door I. However, .my invention will operate on a single "walled safe or strong box. Between the inner wall 2 and outer wall 3 of the door i is a fire-proof filling 4 composed of asbestos, cement and asbestos or other similar v substances. On the inner wall-2 or between the walls 2 and '3 is bolted .a locking mechanism L having a sleeve 5 extending through the walls 2 and 3 0f the door I and cooperating with the spindle "6 as a bearing therefor. The locking mechanism L has the combination plates 7 of the usual form which actuates the locking bolt -8 when the spindle 6 is properly operated.

This locking bolt 8 in the present type of safe locks directly 'releasably engages a slot in j the locking bar actuating plate to be hereinafter described and prevents operation of the locking bars unless disengaged. To prevent the withdrawal of the bolt 8 when the spindle 6 and combination plates I have been removed by a safe cracker by driving the spindle into the safe, the trigger 9 is actuated on its pivot ID by the driving in of the combination plate 1 against which it is positioned. When actuated on its pivot ID the trigger disengages from its contact with the shoulder I I on the relocking pin I2 and permits the spring I3 to expand forcing the pin I2 into the recess I4 in the bolt 8. The pin l2 passes through the bolt guide 40 which is an extension on the exterior wall of the locking mechanism and when released by the trigge 9 prevents withdrawal of the bolt 8.

In the present type of locks the bolt 8 enters the recess I5 in the locking bar plate I6 when the safe is locked. When the bolt 8 is withdrawn the locking bar plate I6 may be rotated by the handle I! through a spindle I8 attached to the locking bar plate l6 by the squared portion I9 and the nut 20. When thedoor I is closed, it is held in position by the locking bars 2! which are journaled in the door I and engage recesses in the safe-proper. The locking bars 2| are pivotally connected to the locking bar plate 16 in the usual manner soas to permit their operation when the locking bar plate I6 is rotated. M 7 a As is readily apparent either the complete removal of the locking mechanism L including the bolt 8 or the bending of this mechanismout of place by punching, will permit the rotation of the locking bar plate l6 and the opening of the door I. To prevent this, my invention consists of an extension upon the bolt 8 which will be disengaged from the bolt 8 and still retain the locking bar plate I6 in its lockedposition.

For this purpose the complementary plates 22 and 23 are bolted to the door by bolts 24. A slot 25 in these plates provides means for positioning a slidable bar 26 therein and acts as a guide for the bar 26. The bar 26 at one end releasably engages the recess I5 and prevents rotation of the locking bar plate I6. At its other end the bar 26 has a groove 21 for engaging a tongue 28 on the bolt 8. bolt 8 by the lock mechanism L will withdraw the bar 26 from the recess I5 and permit the opening of the safe. However, if the lock mechanism and bolt 8 are driven off from the safe, the tongue 28 will readily slip out of the groove 21 and leave the safe in a locked position.

As a further precaution against, opening of the safe door, I providethe bar, 26 with a bore 29 in which is positioned a spring 30. The spring 30 is maintained therein by the nut 3!. A pin 32 is screwed into the bore. 33 in the guide plate 22 and extends intoan opening 29 in the bore 29. If the connection between the bolt 8 and the bar 26 is broken by the slipping of the tongue 28 from the groove 21, the spring 36 acting upon the pin 32 will force the bar 26 further into the recess I5 and allow the pin 34I held in the bore 35 by' the nut 36 and actuated by the spring 31 to be released and prevent withdrawal of the bar 26.

It will be noted that the bar 26 is always in engagementwith the recess I5 in the locking bar plate I6 when the door is in a locked position and does not rely to bring it into a locked position on any springs, triggers or other mechanism operated when an attemptis made to break into the door. An attempt to break into the door by driving off the clocked mechanism L removes all contact with the exterior of the Operation of the' door and the bar 26 preventing the opening of the door. The essence of my invention is that any tampering with the actuating mechanism (the locking mechanism L) of the bar 26 such as driving, will disengage all external connection with the bar 26.

It might be possible to insert a wire into the hole left by driving off the lock mechanism L and spindle 6, thus engaging the groove 21 and withdrawing the bar 26. The contact of the pin 34 against the surface of the plate 22 prevents this withdrawal.

To protect against a possible rusting or corrosion of the pin 34 and spring 31, the slot 25 has a curved surface 38 against which the pin 34 bears. When the safe is opened and shut, the

' pin 34 is thus moved back and forth and prevented from rusting in place.

Any type of connection between the bolt 8 and the bar 26 which would be readily disengaged might be used in a lock built in accordance with my invention. I

While I' have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I am not limited to the details therein shown except pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim: 7

i 1. Ina safe lock the combination of a locking bolt, a locking mechanism releasably connected to said locking bolt, guides for said locking bolt, a pin mounted on one of said guides and engaging a spring on said locking bolt whereby disconnecting said lockingbolt and said locking mechanism moves said locking bolt further into its locked position, a pin journaled in said locking bolt and spring actuated, said pin normally held in position by said guides, but released to bear against exterior of said guides when said locking bolt is actuated by the pin mounted on the guide.

a spring onsaid locking bolt whereby disconnecting said locking bolt and said locking mechanismmoves said locking bolt further into its locked position, a pin journaled in said locking bolt and spring actuated, said pin normally held in position by said guides, but released to bear against exterior of said guides when said locking bolt is actuated by the pin mounted on the guide, and the surface of the guides maintaining the pin on the lock bolt in position being curved whereby said pinis prevented from rusting or corroding in place.

said locking bolt and adapted to actuate and withdraw said locking bolt from said slot, and means carriedby said locking bolt for locking said locking bolt in said slot when said locking mechanism is disengaged from said locking bolt.

4. In a safe look, a locking bolt which in locked position engages and prevents operation of a bolt actuating device, a locking mechanism detachably connected to said locking bolt and adapted to actuate and withdraw said locking bolt from engagemen't with said bolt actuating device, and means carried by said locking bolt for locking said locking bolt in saidengagement when said looking mechanism is disengaged from said locking bolt.

5. In a safe look, a locking bolt which in locked position engages and prevents operation of a bolt actuating device, a locking mechanism detachably connected to said locking bolt and adapted to actuate and withdraw said locking bolt from engagement with said bolt actuating device, guides for said locking bolt, a pin mounted on one of said guides and engaging a spring on said locking bolt whereby upon disconnecting said locking bolt and said locking mechanism said pin moves said locking bolt further into its locked position and releases a spring actuated pin journaled in said locking bolt and normally held in position by said guides to bear against the exterior of said guides and prevent withdrawal of said locking bolt.

6. In a safe lock, a locking bolt which in locked position engages and prevents operation of a bolt actuating device, a locking mechanism detachably connected to said locking bolt and adapted to actuate and withdraw said locking bolt from engagement with said bolt actuating device, guides for said locking bolt, a pin mounted on one of said guides and engaging a spring on said locking bolt whereby upon disconnecting said locking bolt and said locking mechanism said pin moves said locking bolt further into its locked position and releases a spring actuated pin journaled in said locking bolt and normally held in position by said guides to bear against the exterior of said guides and prevent withdrawal of said locking bolt, and the surface of the guides maintaining said pin on said locking bolt in position being curved to permit a limited release when said locking bolt is normally actuated by said pin, whereby said pin is prevented from corroding in place.

CHARLES A. FOWLER. 

